“That sounds like a challenge,” Tony said walking over to her with a mischievous look. He wrapped his arms around her neck and pulled her into a kiss. “Note that I didn’t touch your hands so the bet continues on,” he smirked as he pulled away.
Summer froze. Very slowly, she lifted a shaking hand to her mouth.
“I don’t fuck around when it comes to my fish,” Tony said curtly as he returned to the kitchen to order the pizza.
She forced herself to take a deep breath before she said anything. “I haven’t been kissed in over a year,” she told him quietly. “Please don’t … do that as a joke.” She thought she might be sick.
She shrugged. “Sure, that’s fine. No pineapple, though. Fruit does not belong on pizza.” It was a definitive statement, and she grinned, waiting for his reaction, before climbing up out of the chair. Going over to the fish tank again, she tapped at the side.
“Hey! No tapping on the glass! Are you trying to give my baby a heart attack?” Tony said, this time waving his phone at her. “Step away from the fish, young lady, or I’ll have to put you under arrest.”
“Make me,” she taunted, not even bothering to look at him. “You couldn’t arrest me if you /wanted/ to.” One hand spread flat on the glass, she traced the end of one long braid against it, trying to get the fish’s attention.
“That sounds like a challenge,” Tony said walking over to her with a mischievous look. He wrapped his arms around her neck and pulled her into a kiss. “Note that I didn’t touch your hands so the bet continues on,” he smirked as he pulled away.
Summer froze. Very slowly, she lifted a shaking hand to her mouth.
“Hey hey hey!” Tony said waving a wooden spoon at Summer. “Get away from that fish tank.” He had been in the kitchen for about 20 minutes trying to figure out what to make them for dinner. “It’s not that I don’t trust you around breakable stuff; I just don’t trust you around my fish.” Tony laughed. “I’m still convinced you’re gunna murder my little Herbie.”
“I /am/ part cat,” Summer teased, ostentatiously putting her hands behind her back. “I’m really not that picky, Tony. If this is a bid to impress me it’s not working.” She straddled a chair backward, propping her chin on the back of it and watching him generally frown at his kitchen.
“I’m not gunna win this bet with macaroni and cheese,” Tony said, rolling his eyes. He turned and opened the refrigerator door and looked inside for the tenth time. “Fuck I give up. How about I just order pizza?” he said, pushing the door close with a defeated look on his face.
She shrugged. “Sure, that’s fine. No pineapple, though. Fruit does not belong on pizza.” It was a definitive statement, and she grinned, waiting for his reaction, before climbing up out of the chair. Going over to the fish tank again, she tapped at the side.
“Hey! No tapping on the glass! Are you trying to give my baby a heart attack?” Tony said, this time waving his phone at her. “Step away from the fish, young lady, or I’ll have to put you under arrest.”
“Make me,” she taunted, not even bothering to look at him. “You couldn’t arrest me if you /wanted/ to.” One hand spread flat on the glass, she traced the end of one long braid against it, trying to get the fish’s attention.
“God and you accused me of flirting,” Tony laughed. “You got yourself a deal Miss Summer.” He smirked. “Hope you’re ready to clean my apartment.”
She spluttered into her drink. “I suck at flirting. /If/ you win, I’ll be ready to do anything you say, Mr Irresistible. But false comments will get you nowhere.”
“Mr Irresistible.” Tony smiled rubbing his chin. “I like that. If I win you have to call me that for the entire month. “And I’ll tell you a secret. I am the king of flirtation. And I know quality flirting when I see it. And that was some five star flirting.”
Summer turned nearly the same colour as her hair, subsiding behind her cup. “Shut up, geekboy,” she mumbled. “First you have to win.”
“Well since I’m so shitty at coming up with something why don’t you have a go.” Tony rolled his eyes getting a little annoyed. “I mean if you’re just gunna sit here and shoot down every idea you may as well be pitching some yourself.”
Summer’s eyes grew thoughtful, then crafty. “If you win, I’ll be your personal, obedient servant for a month. Coffee, cupcakes, whatever you want. If I win,” a smile uncurled on her mouth, a little cruel, “you have to go out with me twice.”
“A whole month?” Tony laughed. “Are you just trying to punish yourself?” He rubbed his hands together considering the terms of the bet. “It sounds like you want me to go out with you so I’m fairly certain I’ve already won.”
“With incentive like that, I won’t lose,” she shot back. “And you’ll have to do more than simply exist to break my will.” She drank deeply from her chocolate, then looked up at him through her eyelashes. “After all, if you never see me again, I’ve won.”
“God and you accused me of flirting,” Tony laughed. “You got yourself a deal Miss Summer.” He smirked. “Hope you’re ready to clean my apartment.”
She spluttered into her drink. “I suck at flirting. /If/ you wish, I’ll be ready to do anything you say, Mr Irresistible. But false comments will get you nowhere.”
“Fine if I win you have to buy me coffee everyday for a month and if you win I’ll do the same.” Tony stuck out his hand with a grin. “Deal?”
She shook her head at him. “Don’t drink coffee, and so far you aren’t even making me want to win. Or lose. Bet something worth caring about or don’t take up the challenge. You can’t win anyway, I’m immune to you.”
“Well since I’m so shitty at coming up with something why don’t you have a go.” Tony rolled his eyes getting a little annoyed. “I mean if you’re just gunna sit here and shoot down every idea you may as well be pitching some yourself.”
Summer’s eyes grew thoughtful, then crafty. “If you win, I’ll be your personal, obedient servant for a month. Coffee, cupcakes, whatever you want. If I win,” a smile uncurled on her mouth, a little cruel, “you have to go out with me twice.”
“A whole month?” Tony laughed. “Are you just trying to punish yourself?” He rubbed his hands together considering the terms of the bet. “It sounds like you want me to go out with you so I’m fairly certain I’ve already won.”
“With incentive like that, I won’t lose,” she shot back. “And you’ll have to do more than simply exist to break my will.” She drank deeply from her chocolate, then looked up at him through her eyelashes. “After all, if you never see me again, I’ve won.”
“Fine if I win you have to buy me coffee everyday for a month and if you win I’ll do the same.” Tony stuck out his hand with a grin. “Deal?”
She shook her head at him. “Don’t drink coffee, and so far you aren’t even making me want to win. Or lose. Bet something worth caring about or don’t take up the challenge. You can’t win anyway, I’m immune to you.”
“Well since I’m so shitty at coming up with something why don’t you have a go.” Tony rolled his eyes getting a little annoyed. “I mean if you’re just gunna sit here and shoot down every idea you may as well be pitching some yourself.”
Summer’s eyes grew thoughtful, then crafty. “If you win, I’ll be your personal, obedient servant for a month. Coffee, cupcakes, whatever you want. If I win,” a smile uncurled on her mouth, a little cruel, “you have to go out with me twice.”
“And what do you expect to get from winning?” she drawled. “I’ve never been fucked in my life.” Her eyes flicked away, and she added, sotto voce, “literally or figuratively.”
“Well now you’re just being dirty.” Tony laughed. “And if I win you’re gunna bake three dozen cupcakes and draw my face with icing on each one.” He smirked.
Both eyebrows shot up. “That’ll be a neat trick, considering I live oncampus with no kitchen available. Ask for something actually possible, honestly, or there’s just no point. I mean, if you want cupcakes that badly, I’ll just buy them for you. I think I can afford to give you a cupcake a week.” Summer sighed. “Anyway I’m not being dirty, I’m being honest.” She shrugged. “You seem to think your charm is going to make me want you. A natural course of events. And I’ll tell you right now, if that happens, you won’t know it. And the reverse is never going to happen because people like you aren’t interested in people like me.”
“Fine if I win you have to buy me coffee everyday for a month and if you win I’ll do the same.” Tony stuck out his hand with a grin. “Deal?”
She shook her head at him. “Don’t drink coffee, and so far you aren’t even making me want to win. Or lose. Bet something worth caring about or don’t take up the challenge. You can’t win anyway, I’m immune to you.”
“Not a thing besides being my normal painfully charming self.” he smirked. “And what will you be doing to try to prevent me from winning?”
“Let me see … if you take /my/ hand, then you lose. Yes?” She scraped her fingernails down, curling her fingers inward. “I’ve no skill at flirting, but if you fall for me …” She couldn’t finish, breaking into laughter.
Tony scoffed. “The only thing I lose is my keys after a night of drinking,” he laughed. “And I’m a black belt in the art of flirting so I hate to tell you this kid but you’re kinda fucked,” he smirked. “I might as well have already won.”
“And what do you expect to get from winning?” she drawled. “I’ve never been fucked in my life.” Her eyes flicked away, and she added, sotto voce, “literally or figuratively.”
“Well now you’re just being dirty.” Tony laughed. “And if I win you’re gunna bake three dozen cupcakes and draw my face with icing on each one.” He smirked.
Both eyebrows shot up. “That’ll be a neat trick, considering I live oncampus with no kitchen available. Ask for something actually possible, honestly, or there’s just no point. I mean, if you want cupcakes that badly, I’ll just buy them for you. I think I can afford to give you a cupcake a week.” Summer sighed. “Anyway I’m not being dirty, I’m being honest.” She shrugged. “You seem to think your charm is going to make me want you. A natural course of events. And I’ll tell you right now, if that happens, you won’t know it. And the reverse is never going to happen because people like you aren’t interested in people like me.”
“And how will we know I’ve lost? It can’t be anything so simple as hanging out together, or calling you. It has to be something I wouldn’t ordinarily do.” Low, she murmured, “Something to justify that confidence of yours.”
“We’ll know I’ve won when you try to hold my hand.” Tony grinned. “All you have to do is avoid the urge to grab onto these.” Tony raised his hands wiggling his fingers. “These big strong warm hands.”
“That’s almost /too/ easy.” She smiled slyly and lifted a hand to press against his. His fingertips overtopped hers by half an inch or more. “And will you be doing anything — particular to win?”
“Not a thing besides being my normal painfully charming self.” he smirked. “And what will you be doing to try to prevent me from winning?”
“Let me see … if you take /my/ hand, then you lose. Yes?” She scraped her fingernails down, curling her fingers inward. “I’ve no skill at flirting, but if you fall for me …” She couldn’t finish, breaking into laughter.
Tony scoffed. “The only thing I lose is my keys after a night of drinking,” he laughed. “And I’m a black belt in the art of flirting so I hate to tell you this kid but you’re kinda fucked,” he smirked. “I might as well have already won.”
“And what do you expect to get from winning?” she drawled. “I’ve never been fucked in my life.” Her eyes flicked away, and she added, sotto voce, “literally or figuratively.”